


Yavanna's Gift

by themonstrousregiment



Category: The Hobbit - All Media Types, The Hobbit - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon, Gen, I will add characters tags as they appear, M/M, this is gonna be a long ride so buckle your seatbelts
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-12-14
Updated: 2014-12-14
Packaged: 2018-03-01 13:03:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 963
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2774033
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/themonstrousregiment/pseuds/themonstrousregiment
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"There is a touch of destiny around Bilbo. I can sense he will live a life far greater than any Hobbit in this Age. He will have many difficult decisions ahead, and there will come a time when every choice he makes will change this world, for good or for bad. And I believe that one of the Valar has foreseen this and bestowed upon him a gift, to help him on his way.”</p>
            </blockquote>





	Yavanna's Gift

**Author's Note:**

> I'm writing again, I can't believe it. This is going to be long - I'm not planning on completely rewriting the Hobbit, but I will be going through and tweaking/retelling things with a twist...actually I'll probably end up rewriting a lot. Oh dear.

Bilbo Baggins was born at the end of an unseasonably warm September. He was like any other bairn, born with a head of honey blonde curls and the appetite of an olaphant. Any respectable Hobbit of the Shire would say there was nothing special about the boy, beyond his unfortunate position as the only son of an honest, respectable gentlehobbit and a wild, adventurous Took lass.

Yet Belladonna Took knew, from the moment that she cradled her boy in her arms and a tiny fist wrapped possessively around her finger, that there was something special about Bilbo. Her husband smiled indulgently; of course there was something special about Bilbo, he was their son after all. But Belladonna knew there was something beyond that. There was a weight to Bilbo. Not the weight of a large bag of flour, heavy in your arms, but a heaviness in the air, a sense that her son was carrying an entire world on his shoulders. Bilbo himself seemed unaware of Belladonna’s worries – he acted like any other infant, his hair turning the shade of cherry wood as he grew, the pattering of his little feet and his cries of delight as his father chased him around Bag End filling a hole in Belladonna’s life she had never even noticed before. And, although Belladonna always a kept close eye on her boy, she gradually pushed aside her worrisome thoughts.

Ten years later, it abruptly became apparent that Belladonna had been right all along. It was her dear grandfathers, Gerontius ‘Old’ Took’s, 111th birthday and as Thain he was throwing a spectacular party, like he did every year. However, this year was even more spectacular, as Gandalf was passing through and had promised to set off a few of his fantastical fireworks. Belladonna had not seen her old friend for many years and was quick to introduce the wizard to her Bilbo, who already had the makings of a great adventurer.

Bilbo, eternally a polite Baggins, had shyly raised a hand to shake the wizards, as he had seen his father do on many occasions. Gandalf had laughed and bent down to indulge the little Hobbit. If Belladonna had not known her friend as well as she did, she would have missed the slight widening of his eyes as he gripped her sons hand. Yet Belladonna knew her friend very well indeed and recognised his curious frown for what it was; a sign of trouble. And so, after Bilbo’s curiosity was sated and he stopped questioning the wizard about everything and anything he could think of, Belladonna invited her old friend to tea the next day, and made it very clear that she would put on her cloak and find him herself if he did not show, for they were _words_ to be had.

The following afternoon, over crumpets and blackberry jam and a pot of wild berry tea, Gandalf confirmed what Belladonna had always thought.

“There is something special about your Bilbo.”

“I know _that_ Gandalf. Now tell me what it is, or I shall leave the elderberry wine in the cellar and you shan’t be having any of it.”

“There is no need for threats. As you know, I have a small gift of Foresight. I can only see vague impressions of the future, nothing very accurate and sometimes quite useless. But sometimes it is as clear as the sun is bright.”

“And your point, Gandalf?”

“Impatient as always Bella. To be frank, there is a touch of destiny around Bilbo. I can sense he will live a life far greater than any Hobbit in this Age. He will have many difficult decisions ahead, and there will come a time when every choice he makes will change this world, for good or for bad…and I believe that one of the Valar has foreseen this and bestowed upon him a gift, to help him on his way.”

“One of the Valar?”

“Indeed. I believe it was Kementári, the Giver of Fruits. Yavanna to the Hobbits, if I’m not mistaken.”

“Yavanna? What has she done to my boy?”

“Don’t fret Bella, it is a blessing, not a curse. All Hobbits are Yavanna’s children after all, she would not seek to hurt your son. Yavanna’s gift will manifest, but it may take many years yet. At the moment he is as normal as any son of yours could ever be.”

“But what is it? What has she given him?”

“That I do not know. We can only wait and see.”

Gandalf then refused to talk any further on the matter, in spite of Belladonna’s persistence and the emergence of a bottle of Elvish wine she had been saving for many years. Bilbo eventually returned from his daily wanderings, plastered in mud from “Chasing Elves, Mama!” and then proceeded to interrogate the wizard on everything he knew about Elves and where they could be found. When Gandalf made to leave, Bilbo insisted he accompany him to the edge of the Shire to continue his questioning, much to the amusement of the wizard, who was quite charmed by the boys’ enthusiasm.

As Belladonna waved from the doorway, Bilbo practically skipping to keep up with the wizards long stride, she could not help but fear for her boy and the future ahead of him. But then she saw her husband appear around the bend in the road and watched as Bungo lifted their son and spun him in the air, Bilbo’s carefree laughter carrying towards her, and found her courage. For Bilbo was the son of the very best Baggins and the very best Took the Shire had to offer, if she did say so herself, and Yavanna’s gift or not, he would weather any storm the world threw his way.  

 

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> The next chapters will be from Bilbo's perspective, and set a lot later. Hope you enjoyed!


End file.
